Every first Sunday of the each month (only in the morning!) from March through December the town of Belfort hosts the largest flea market of eastern France.  And if you are visiting the Alsace it may be worthwhile to stroll through the narrow alleys of the city center and search for inspiration.

The market in Belfort is specialized in antiques but as with every flea market in the world; some things are nice and expensive and most of the items are just crap. You will need some patience and luck to find a bargain. Nevertheless it is always interesting to see what people will try to sell; from used bathtubs to some relics from the French revolution.

Another peculiar aspect of this market are the prices. They range from adequate to fantasy. If you don’t have a french accent yo are looking at an increase of 50 to 500% easily. I actually tried to buy a frame that had an ugly ass painting in it. The seller though I was interested in the painting and offered it for “only” 500 Euro…He told me that the painting was signed (ok, so what?)- of course he didn’t know by whom, most probably his cousin. We all know that the “I bought a Rembrandt at a market from an old lady for 10 bucks and sold it 2 years later at Sotheby’s for 10 million” doesn’t really happen in our world. I was just looking at spending my last 25 Euro, so I told him politely that he could have my signature for “only” 200 Euro- a bargain!

At the end I was able to find  a small trouvaille for my last money and the morning ended on a positive note. Merci beaucoup monsieur!